If you’re a sales ops pro or admin who’s been handed the keys to Qobra and told to "just automate commission plans," you know it’s never that simple. Sure, Qobra promises to handle the math and tracking, but getting your plans set up right takes a bit of legwork. This guide cuts out the fluff and gets you from zero to live—without making you want to throw your laptop across the room.
Let’s get your commission plans running on autopilot, step by step.
1. Get Your Requirements Straight—Seriously, Don’t Skip This
Before you touch Qobra, make sure you actually know what you need. Most commission headaches come from unclear rules, not from the software.
What to clarify: - Who’s getting paid? (Teams, roles, individuals) - What triggers a commission? (Closed deals, collected cash, hitting quotas) - What counts as revenue? (Net, gross, recurring, one-time) - Are there tiers, accelerators, or clawbacks? - How often do you pay out? (Monthly, quarterly)
Pro tip: Write this down. If your plan is “in people’s heads,” you’ll end up automating chaos.
2. Prep Your Data Sources
Qobra isn’t magic—it needs clean data. Garbage in, garbage out.
Typical data sources: - CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot) - Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets) - Accounting systems (for real revenue numbers)
What to check: - Is your CRM actually up to date? - Are deal owners and amounts accurate? - Are there weird edge cases, like split deals or manual overrides?
Avoid: Automating before your data’s cleaned up. Qobra can’t fix messy CRM hygiene.
3. Connect Qobra to Your Data
Log in to Qobra and head to the integrations section.
How to hook things up: - CRM: Most folks connect Salesforce or HubSpot. Use Qobra’s built-in integrations and follow the prompts. You’ll need admin access. - Spreadsheets: Upload directly, or set up syncing if you’re using Google Sheets. - Manual upload: If you must, you can import CSVs. But that’s not really “automated.”
Gotchas: - Field mapping matters. Make sure Qobra knows what’s “deal amount,” “deal owner,” etc. Don’t assume names match up. - Test with a small batch first. Don’t pull in your entire CRM until you know how it looks.
4. Build Your First Commission Plan
Now for the part that actually feels like progress.
In Qobra: 1. Go to “Commission Plans” and hit “Create New Plan.” 2. Give your plan a clear name—something like “AE Q1 2024” (not “Plan 1”). 3. Define eligibility. Pick which roles, teams, or individual reps this plan covers.
Add your rules: - Base commission: e.g., 5% of closed-won deals. - Tiers: Set up thresholds (e.g., 7% for revenue over $100k). - Accelerators: Extra payout after targets are hit. - Exclusions: Don’t pay on churned deals? Add a rule.
Honest take: Don’t try to cram every exception into your first plan. Start with the main rules, and add edge cases later. Overcomplicated plans break easily.
5. Set Up Triggers and Automation
This is where Qobra earns its paycheck.
- Trigger events: Choose what kicks off a commission event (deal marked closed-won, invoice paid, etc.)
- Timing: Set when commissions accrue (e.g., on close, on payment).
- Approvals: Decide if payouts need manager sign-off or can run automatically.
Tip: If you have weird timing (like delayed payout until payment clears), use Qobra’s scheduling features to delay commissions.
6. Map Data Fields and Test the Logic
If you get this wrong, your reps will notice—loudly.
What to map: - Deal owner → Rep in Qobra - Close date → Eligible period - Deal amount → Commissionable value
Testing: - Run a few test deals through. Check: Does the math work? Are the right people credited? - Ask a colleague to double-check—fresh eyes catch things you won’t.
Watch out for: - Deals with missing or mismatched fields. - Multi-currency issues. Qobra can handle currencies, but only if you set it up right.
7. Set Up Dashboards and Payout Schedules
Automation means nothing if people can’t see or trust the results.
- Dashboards: Build views for reps (what they’ve earned), managers (team totals), and admins (everything).
- Payout schedule: Tell Qobra when and how to generate payout files or sync with payroll.
Keep it simple: Don’t build ten dashboards nobody uses. Start with one for reps and one for finance.
8. Communicate With Your Team
No software can fix confusion. Before you turn it all on:
- Send out a plain-English summary of the plan.
- Show sample dashboards in a quick call.
- Be clear about how disputes will be handled.
Pro tip: Have a “commission discrepancy” process, even if it’s just “Email salesops.” Saves headaches later.
9. Go Live—But Watch Closely
Ready to flip the switch? Don’t disappear.
- Monitor the first couple of weeks for errors or weird payouts.
- Ask for feedback—are people seeing what they expect?
- Be ready to patch rules or fix data quickly.
What to ignore: Fancy features you don’t need yet. Get the basics working first.
10. Iterate and Improve
Commission plans never stay the same. Once you’re live:
- Review results each pay period.
- Tweak rules as business needs change.
- Keep your data sources healthy—if your CRM slips, so does your automation.
Don’t overthink it: The best commission plans are clear and boring. Complicated plans end up with “shadow spreadsheets” anyway.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Keep It Honest
Setting up automated commission plans in Qobra isn’t rocket science, but it does take real work and clear thinking. Resist the urge to automate chaos or chase every edge case out of the gate. Start simple, test everything, and let your team know what to expect.
You’ll save yourself (and your reps) a lot of headaches—and maybe even get to focus on something besides “why didn’t I get paid?” this month.